Method and apparatus for controlling a vehicle control signal

Claim 2

In a vehicle control system, the combination comprising: means for providing periodic control pulses; first means responsive to the provision of said periodic control pulses for providing a predetermined number progression of said periodic pulses; means for providing vehicle position signals, in response to sensing a vehicle''s position relative to a vehicle travel path; second means for storing the initial distance that a vehicle has to travel to a predetermined position, and for counting in response to the provision of said vehicle position signals for providing successive counts indicative of the remaining distance said vehicle has to travel to said predetermined position; third means operative with said second means and responsive to each pulse in said predetermined number progression, during the time interval between the provision of successive one of said vehicle position signals, for forming a summation of the count stored in said second means; and means for providing a vehicle control signal in response to the formation of said summation.

Claim 3

In a vehicle control system for a vehicle traveling along a vehicle travel path, the combination comprising: first means for providing a vehicle position signal each time said vehicle senses one of a plurality of predetermined positions along said vehicle travel path; second means for storing the initial distance that said vehicle has to travel to a selected one of said predetermined positions in response to the provision of a given one of said vehicle position signals, and for counting in response to said vehicle position signals for providing successive counts indicative of the remaining distance said vehicle has to travel to said selected one of said predetermined positions; third means for providing periodic clock pulses; fourth means for providing a timing signal in response to the provision of a predetermined number of said periodic clock pulses; fifth means for providing a predetermined number progression grouping of said periodic clock pulses during the time interval between said vehicle position signals, with each successive group of clock pulses in the progression being provided at a time determined by said timing signal; sixth means operative with said second means and responsive to each clock pulse in said predetermined number progression grouping for forming a summation of the count stored in said second means; and means responsive to the formation of said summation for providing a vehicle control signal.

Claim 4

In a vehicle control system for a vehicle traveling along a vehicle travel path, the combination comprising: first means for providing a vehicle position signal each time said vehicle senses one of a plurality of predetermined positions along said vehicle travel path; second means for storing the initial distance that said vehicle has to travel to a selected one of said predetermined positions in response to the provision of a given one of said vehicle position signals, and for counting in response to said vehicle position signals for providing successive counts indicative of the remaining distance said vehicle has to travel to said selected one of said predetermined positions; third means for providing periodic clock pulses; fourth means for providing a timing signal in response to the provision of a predetermined number of said periodic clock pulses; fifth means for providing a predetermined number progression grouping of said periodic clock pulses during the time interval between said vehicle position signals, with each successive group of clock pulses in the progression being provided at a time determined by said timing signal; sixth means operative with said second means and responsive to each clock pulse in said predetermined number progression grouping for forming a summation of the count stored in said second means; and means responsive to the formation of said summation for providing a vehicle control signal.

Claim 5

The combination claimed in claim 2, with said vehicle control signal comprising a vehicle deceleration command for stopping said vehicle at said selected one of said predetermined positions.

Claim 6

In a vehicle control system which provides a vehicle deceleration command for a vehicle relative to a stopping position along a vehicle travel path, the combination comprising: means for providing a vehicle position signal each time said vehicle senses one of a plurality of predetermined positions along said vehicle travel path; a distance counter in which the initial distance said vehicle has to travel to said stopping position is stored in response to the provision of a given vehicle position signal, and which counts in response to said vehicle position signals for providing successive counts indicative of the remaining distance said vehicle has to travel to said stopping position; means for providing periodic clock pulses; means responsive to a predetermined number of said periodic clock pulses for providing a timing signal; a first counter which counts said clock pulses during the time interval between said timing signals; a second counter which counts said timing signals during the time interval between said vehicle position signals; a comparator for sensing like signal levels in predetermined stages of said first and second counters; means for blocking the application of said count pulses to said first counter in response to said comparator sensing like signal levels in the predetermined stages of said first and second counters; an accumulator in which a number indicative of the count in said distance counter is initially stored concurrent with the application of the first clock pulse to said first counter; an adder which adds the count stored in said counter to the number stored in said accumulator concurrent with the application of each of the succeeding clock pulses to said first counter, with the result of each addition being the number which is next stored in the accumulator for forming a sum signal; and means responsive to said sum signal for providing a vehicle control signal.

Claim 7

In a vehicle control system which provides a vehicle deceleration command for a vehicle relative to a stopping position along a vehicle travel path, the combination comprising: means for providing a vehicle position signal each time said vehicle senses one of a plurality of predetermined positions along said vehicle travel path; a distance counter in which the initial distance said vehicle has to travel to said stopping position is stored in response to the provision of a given vehicle position signal, and which counts in response to said vehicle position signals for providing successive counts indicative of the remaining distance said vehicle has to travel to said stopping position; means for providing periodic clock pulses; means responsive to a predetermined number of said periodic clock pulses for providing a timing signal; a first counter which counts said clock pulses during the time interval between said timing signals; a second counter which counts said timing signals during the time interval between said vehicle position signals; a comparator for sensing like signal levels in predetermined stages of said first and second counters; means for blocking the application of said count pulses to said first counter in response to said comparator sensing like signal levels in the predetermined stages of said first and second counters; an accumulator in which a number indicative of the count in said distance counter is initially stored concurrent with the application of the first clock pulse to said first counter; an adder which adds the count stored in said counter to the number stored in said accumulator concurrent with the application of each of the succeeding clock pulses to said first counter, with the result of each addition being the number which is next stored in the accumulator for forming a sum signal; and means responsive to said sum signal for providing a vehicle control signal.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 4 wherein said vehicle control signal is a deceleration signal.

Claim 9

In a vehicle control system for a vehicle traveling along a vehicle travel path, a method of providing a vehicle control signal comprising the steps of: providing a vehicle position signal each time said vehicle senses one of a plurality of predetermined positions along said vehicle travel path; storing in a counter the initial distance said vehicle has to travel to a selected one of said predetermined positions in response to the provision of a given vehicle position signal, with said counter providing successive counts indicative of the remaining distance said vehicle has to travel to said predetermined position in response to the provision of each of said position signals; providing periodic clock pulses; providing a timing signal in response to a predetermined number of said periodic clock pulses; providing a predetermined number progression grouping of said periodic clock pulses during the time interval between the provision of successive vehicle position signals, with each successive group of clock pulses in the progression provided at a time determined by said timing signal; providing a sum signal by forming a summation of the count stored in said counter in response to each clock pulse in said predetermined number progression grouping; and providing said vehicle control signal in response to the provision of said sum signal.

Claim 10

In a vehicle control system for a vehicle traveling along a vehicle travel path, a method of providing a vehicle control signal comprising the steps of: providing a vehicle position signal each time said vehicle senses one of a plurality of predetermined positions along said vehicle travel path; storing in a counter the initial distance said vehicle has to travel to a selected one of said predetermined positions in response to the provision of a given vehicle position signal, with said counter providing successive counts indicative of the remaining distance said vehicle has to travel to said predetermined position in response to the provision of each of said position signals; providing periodic clock pulses; providing a timing signal in response to a predetermined number of said periodic clock pulses; providing a predetermined number progression grouping of said periodic clock pulses during the time interval between the provision of successive vehicle position signals, with each successive group of clock pulses in the progression provided at a time determined by said timing signal; providing a sum signal by forming a summation of the count stored in said counter in response to each clock pulse in said predetermined number progression grouping; and providing said vehicle control signal in response to the provision of said sum signal.

Claim 11

The method of claim 6 including the step of: deriving a deceleration signal for said vehicle in response to the provision of said vehicle control signal.